The present invention relates to electronic musical performance through keyboard electronic instruments, e.g. synthesizers, electric or electronic pianos and organs, and more particularly to simulation of acoustic piano response in keyboards for such instruments.
There are four principal classes of keyboard instruments distinguished by the way the applied pressure or key velocity influences the sound produced when the key is played:
(1) Clavichord-like keyboards, in which the amplitude of the note depends on initial velocity, and some other quality of the note--pitch, in the case of clavichords--depends on pressure after initial keystrike.
(2) Harpsichord-like keyboards, which resist key pressure until a note is played, and then exhibit a reduced resistance when the key remains "bottomed out." Neither loudness nor pitch of the note are affected by the velocity of the keystroke or pressure after keystrike.
(3) Organ-like keyboards, which have a more uniform resistance to key pressure than harpsichord keyboards, but which do not influence loudness or any other quality of the note no matter what the velocity of pressure.
(4) Piano-like keyboards, where the loudness of a note is dependent on the velocity of the keystroke.
As is well known in the art of piano keys, each action includes a hinged mechanism which releasably drives a hammer against sound-producing springs. This hammer action along with other weighting elements of the typical key structure, plus controlled inter-element friction, produces the "piano key feel" desired by accomplished musicians. These also make for an unloading action--a "live" feel at the bottom of the key depression, which comes from the hammer mass moving toward and away from the strings. Typical key actions also include a reasonable constant depressing force of between two and four ounces, plus the ability to return and follow the finger action up and down no matter how rapidly the pianist may "trill" a note.
Because of the musically expressive quality of the piano, which allows a skilled player to obtain crescendos, diminuendos, and accentuation, pianos are the most popular of the keyboard instruments. Most keyboard players first learn to play the piano--which requires considerable investment in time and effort in acquiring "technique"--and then may or may not wish to invest additional time and effort to acquire alternate keyboard techniques.
The present state of the art includes a number of electronic music synthesizers and electronic pianos which do have a fairly good approximation of the feel and response of an acoustic piano.
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a significant improvement in such approximation and in technical and commercial feasibility and reliability of such apparatus.
A further specific object of this invention is provide an electronic musical instrument and a keyboard therefor which has a "feel" or response which is more like an acoustic piano than other electronic instrument keyboards.
Another specific object of this invention is to provide a new keyboard which is economical to manufacture.
Another object of this invention is to provide a new keyboard which is inherently reliable because it uses very few parts.